At present, the procedures for diagnosis of diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system and fetal disorders may involve evaluation by invasive methods, such as, detection of cancer of reproductive organs by colposcopic examination, frequent Pap-smear analysis for cervical, endometrial sampling for endometrial, and endoscopic methods for ovarian cancers and chorionic villous sampling for genomic anomalies of the fetus. These methods of retrieving tissues for the diagnosis of disease and disorders are inconvenient, potentially painful and may pose safety risks. These procedures are expensive and require the participation of health care professionals and facilities. Further, these procedures are invasive with risks of injury to the patient and/or fetus, which can deter frequent monitoring of women for early diagnosis of such diseases and disorders of the reproductive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,333,844, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference, is directed to a device for diagnostic measurements such as the pH value of a female patient's uterine tissue. The device includes a catheter with a pH measuring tip inserted through the patient's vaginal canal and into the patient's uterine cavity until the pH measuring active electrode on the distal end of the catheter contacts or penetrates the uterine fundus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,616, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches a cervical collection device for passive collection of uterine and cervical secretions for medical diagnostic purposes.
There is a need in the art for safe, painless, noninvasive, inexpensive, easy to use devices and methods for retrieval of biological materials for diagnosis of progression of diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system and for monitoring of adverse pregnancy and fetal development.